


Disconnect

by calhale, setralynn



Series: Miles To Go [4]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Inadequate Aftercare, Long-Distance Relationship, Long-Term Relationship(s), M/M, Profanity, Roleplay Logs, Subspace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 16:30:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8408713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calhale/pseuds/calhale, https://archiveofourown.org/users/setralynn/pseuds/setralynn
Summary: Fallout from "Proximity" in two phone conversations: Dean talks to Roman and makes some declarations and Roman tries to reach out to AJ to be sure that Dean is safe with him. Neither conversation goes entirely according to plan.(This is short and for once there is no porn!)





	

When Dean finally pulls his phone out, he's back in his own room. Just scrolling through the alerts makes him want to sink through the mattress.

[Roman: Hey babe. How’s it going?]  
[Roman: Headed to the gym. Call you after?]  
[Missed Call From Roman Reigns.]  
[Roman: Running late, gotta get to dinner with some people. Miss you.]  
[Missed call from Roman Reigns.]  
[Roman: Your phone is still ringing, so I know it's not off... call me when you get this.]  
[Roman: Babe? Everything ok? Jimmy said they haven't seen you since the afternoon.]  
[Roman: Dean. I don't know what this is, but stop it. Now.]  
[Roman: You're not in your room. I hope you're behaving yourself.]  
[Roman: Call me. Now.]  
[Roman: I'm going to bed. Call when you get back to your phone. I just want to know what's going on.]

It's nearly 1:00 AM where Roman is and Dean bites his lower lip but calls anyways. The phone rings for a long time before Roman picks up. "Hey Ro.... sorry about... tonight. I'm ok. I'm safe."

Roman is still muzzy when he answers the phone, having finally fallen asleep. "Dean? What...." His brain slowly catches up. "Sorry for what? Where the hell were you?"

Dean is quiet for a little while before replying. "I just went out for a few drinks with AJ and then we messed around a little. It was really light play and there aren't any bruises on me at all." Dean is starting to ramble and he has to make himself stop and wait for Roman's impending implosion.

Roman is trying to calm himself down, it was AJ Styles again, but Dean is allowed to have friends and Roman can trust him... But Dean is still talking and even 'light play' is a pretty big step. "Dean." Roman says, voice cold and dark as ice. "Define 'messed around' for me. Right fucking now." Because why would there be bruises?

Dean groans and runs his hand over his face as the guilt settles in. "We had sex. He tied me up a little and he fucked me to be specific. Don't worry there's just a few hickies and my jacket and shirt will totally cover them." Dean tries to explain. He knows Roman will be furious about another Dom tying Dean up but it's just felt so good to be used by someone who knew what they were doing.

Roman grits his teeth, trying and failing to control his anger. "He tied you up? While you were drunk? Does he even know your safe word? Would he even have respected it if you'd used it?" His tone is rising, even as he moves to his computer and clicks through the log on for his remote access to Dean's computer. "What are you thinking, Dean? We barely know him!"

"He knows that ‘shield’ is the safe word. We weren't that drunk. Just a few drinks. And _you_ barely know him, Ro. He's my only friend on Smackdown other than the staff and my trainer." Dean retorts with a little bit more heat in his voice than he wants. "Roman I can hear the keyboard. I promise you I'm ok. I'm alone and I miss you. I want to be with you."

The tone of anger in Dean's voice knocks Roman down a peg. "I'm sorry baby, it's only another week and I'll be there with you. I just…” He can see Dean now, through the awkward angle of the laptop camera. It's not a pretty sight, but Dean mostly just looks tired. "Put me on face time then." He says, expecting to be obeyed and when he can see Dean's face better, he feels awful. "He didn't let you stay?" He asks more softly, knowing how vital aftercare and touch are to Dean.

Dean nods and pulls up face time so Roman can see him up close. "It’s alright. I'm sorry I yelled at you, Sir." Dean replies because he’s falling into sub space again just hearing Roman's voice. "He wanted me to stay but I wanted to talk to you and I've never been... I haven't stayed the night with another Dom." Dean explains.

Roman shakes his head slightly, "I shouldn't have yelled either. I'm just worried. You need friends, and I'm proud of you for coming back to me." The words don't sound quite as passionate as he'd like. "I never thought I'd have to share you like this again."

Dean nods and kisses the camera on his phone. "I never thought we would be pulled apart like this. It's so hard. I miss you. I miss your daughter. I miss being close and going on vacations together. I miss our times together." Dean confesses

Roman's heart tightens. And he closes his eyes, gripping the phone too tight. They've become family these past few years, Dean is a brother closer than any he ever had and the lover he never knew he wanted. "I know baby, I know. I never wanted things to change like this." His voice changes without him even realizing it. "You've been so much better, this week, I've seen it. You'll be ok." He knows looking forward to those couple of days before SummerSlam as the end of this is foolish, but he has to put a goal in front of them.

Dean smiles at the compliment. "I've been working really hard to get fit again. Having AJ is good for right now but he doesn't compare to what we have. I'll always come back to you." Dean doesn't know if that's true or not but he wants it to be. "Ro.... do you think we could actually like be out like together.... someday?" He's scared to ask but he needs to know. Being out in public with AJ was great and he wants that with Roman. He wants Roman to be proud of him on his arm.

Roman takes a moment to process that question, "I hope so, babe. Someday, when we're established. When we’re in a position to defend what we have." He swallows hard. "I miss you."

Dean sighs and curls up on the bed. "I miss you too. We'll see each other in a few days. That will be good. I can stop seeing AJ until then if you want." Dean offers even though it'll be hard to Make to trough the week like that.

Roman wants to say yes, but he can't do that to Dean. "You don't have to. You're allowed to have friends. Maybe I can talk with him too. Now that I'm not spearing his cocky ass out of the air in defense of my title." He has plans to talk to him sooner than that, but right now he's about calming Dean down.

Dean's eyes brighten a little. "Could you?" Dean pauses and smiles softly. "I mean, I think it'll be good for you to know him a little better and know I'm going to be ok with him." He gives Roman a coy look before it transforms into a smirk. "I’m looking forward to seeing you before Summer Slam."

"Yeah," Roman says with a soft smile of his own. "Maybe we'll get along." He feels a little answering spark of arousal at that little smirk from Dean. "You better be. You've been seeing a lot more action on the side than I have apparently."

"Wait, Seth's not letting you beat his ass between shows? I thought...." Dean's face falls a little at that realization. "I guess I assumed you two were still doing stuff even though I was gone."

Roman groans, "We’ve tried a few times… but Seth is Seth. He's prickly and pissed off and..." The deep sign is more resigned than anything. "Either he has someone else, or he doesn't think he needs it anymore. He's been getting edgier with this new title and this match against Balor coming up."

Dean groans rolls his eyes. "He really needs his ass kicked in the ring and also in general. I don't know how to make him remember we were his family once. I'm sorry you're not getting laid though." Dean kisses the camera once more for no reason.

Roman smiles, settling back in on the bed since Dean live on his phone is better than the laptop camera anyway. "It is what it is, babe. I miss you and when Seth comes back to us, I hope you can be there too."

"What if we didn't need Seth anymore?" Dean offers hesitantly. "I know it would be different having two doms instead of two subs but AJ still has a lot to learn and I know he could learn from you." Dean proposes.

Roman sighs, his heart breaking a little. "I don't know, babe, but I'll think about that. Would he be willing to learn?" Taking an apprentice isn't anything he's ever thought about, especially since he never officially finished his 'training' in the first place. For Dean and for having someone he could trust though, maybe it would be worth it.

Dean can hear Roman's hesitation at the suggestion. "Roman.... look at me. I don't need anyone else but you. You're it. You're everything I've ever wanted in all my little secret gay fantasies. I would give up wrestling if it meant I got to have a full life with you." The declaration is maybe a bit more passionate than Roman is used to from Dean and the ultimatum in extreme but mostly true.

Roman focuses on the tiny screen, at the pure honesty on Dean's face. "God, I need to touch you. Right fucking now. It's making me crazy." He has to struggle for a moment to find words. "You fly to California tomorrow, right, same as we do? I'll rent a car, I'll come see you." He doesn't know what else to say in the face of that declaration.

Dean smiles happily. "We have the day, and then two days off after the shows. We can be together. I'll let you know when we land. God it's so late there. Get some sleep, big man. I'll see you tomorrow." Dean replies with a love drunk smirk.

"Mmm, see you." Roman says softly, "Love you baby." He knows it will take him a little while to sleep, but it'll be easier now that he knows Dean is safe.

"Love you too, Ro. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll touch you tomorrow." Dean whispers and he thinks he might cry from being so excited. He hangs up before he actually does and gets ready for bed.

\--------------------------------------------------------

The morning after his second 'encounter' with Dean, AJ is feeling pleasantly sore and generally positive about his life. He's just unloaded his bags at the airport and is waiting to check in when his phone rings with an unknown number. "Hello?"

"What do you think you're doing?" Roman growls into the phone, forgetting entirely that he planned to be diplomatic.

"What? Who the hell is this?" AJ pulls his phone away from his ear to look at it, but other than it being a local Florida number, and he can't... "Wait, Reigns?"

"Of course it is." Roman snaps. "The hell do you think you're doing with Dean, Styles? Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

AJ blinks and steps out of line to go find a more private space in the airport. If this is happening now, so be it. "Not at all." He says mildly, "I asked him how pissed you'd be, actually. The first time. He didn't seem to think you'd mind."

"The first time maybe he was right, but tying him up? Putting him so deep into submission that he was still halfway there when he got home to call _me_?" Roman bites his lip. "And he did call me, Styles, the moment he got back."

AJ growls, low in his throat. "Oh fuck off. Do you realize how bad he needs this? How hard he begged? I've never seen someone so desperate before, or so likely to hurt themselves without it." He glares at nothing in particular, fingers gripping his phone too hard.

Roman bristles and tries to calm himself down. "Dean seemed to think you might want to train with me. Learn to take care of him? You have some kind of history with this stuff right?"

AJ rolls his eyes, even though Roman can't possibly see him. "Look, whatever you got him in to, it's way deeper than you seem to think. I'm a big boy too. I don't need you to fucking patronize me, Reigns."

"You're not enough for him. You won't be. Just know that. He's been mine-"

"Yeah, he'd rather have you," AJ interrupts Roman's tirade, "but he _can't_ right now, can he? You'd rather he be out in the city, looking to hire a pro? Because he would be, Reigns. He's so hungry for it he'd probably bend over for the next person to look his way." He tries to stop himself, but he's more angry than he thought he'd be. "Because _you_ left him alone, asshole. Because you sent him off with the title and a pat on the ass and just assumed he'd be fine waiting for whatever scraps of attention you could spare him." AJ growls and drops his voice even lower, almost threatening. "If he wants me, he'll come to me again, and I ain't gonna say no."

Roman actually pauses, rage boiling as he tries to find words. "Just stay away from him. I'll be there tonight and I don't need you interfering. I'll make this right." He shouldn't be telling these things to AJ Styles, he should be telling them to Dean. He hangs up the phone before he can say anything else and turns to go find his flight.

**Author's Note:**

> Next time: Roman and Dean in the same place at the same time.


End file.
